Tether



(No Model.)

W. E. BRADLEY.

TETHER.

Patented June 7, 1892.

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UNiTED STATES` PATENT EEICE.

TILLIAM E. BRADLEY, OF ROSCOE, NEV YORK.

TETHER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 476,726, dated June 7',1892. Application filed July 9, 1891. Serial No. 398,888. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM E. BRADLEY, of Roscoe, in the county ofSullivan and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Tether,of which the followingis a full, clear, and exact description.

The invention relates to tethers in which the rope is paid out whenpulled upon bythe animal and in which the slack is automatically takenup and wound in by suitable winding devices.

The object of the invention is to provide an improved tether of thischaracter of portable construction, cheap, durable, and compact andsuitable for stalls as well as for outdoor use.

The invention is distinguished by novel Winding devices and a means ofsecuring the tether to a stall or to a post, tree, or fence, as desired.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part ofthis specification, in which similar letters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure l is a vertical elevation of a tether embodying my invention.Fig. 2 is a vertical section online 2 2, Fig. l; and Fig. 3 is a planview.

In constructing a tether in accordance with my invention the body Ais ofa length in practice of from one and one-half to three feet and is madeof hollow construction of iron or other suitable material and forms ahousing for the winding devices. The tether-rope B enters the housing atthe top thereof through the flaring guide a, and at the inner end saidrope is secured to the grooved periphery c of the gravity winding wheelor drum C and is Wound on said Wheel the desired number of turns. Thefaces of the hub C of the wheel C are provided with circular series ofpins c', which engage the teeth of the spaced vertical racks D, providedwithin the housing A. The space between the racks D is in register withvertical openings a', formed in opposite sides of the housing A, throughwhich openings the rim of the winding-Wheel C projects in the preferredconstruction,thereby permitting the housing A to be made comparativelysmall in cross-section.

On each end of the axle C2 of the windingwheel C anti-friction disks Eare loosely fitted and serve to guide the wheel in its up and downmovements, the said disks contacting periphcrally with opposite sides ofthe housing A. It will be seen that as the animal pulls on the rope Bthe latter will unwind from the wheel C and will raise the same, thewheel tending to gravitate and serving to take up the slack in the rope,thereby eifectually preventing the rope from being wound around thetether or post and from being entangled in the legs of the animal. Thecircular series of pins c are the preferred form of effecting engagementbetween the rope wheel and racks; but it will readily be understood thatin referring thereto any equivalent pinions or gear-wheels are included.

At both the upper and lower ends of the tether chains or ropes F aresecured and are adapted to be passed around a post G or other fixed object. Adjacent to each chain F a winding-drum H is arranged on theoutside of the housing A and provided with a hook g, over which a linkof the chain is hooked after being passed around the post G. The shaft gof the winding-drum is squared for receiving a crank-handle I, wherebythe said drum may be turned for tightening the chain. The chain may befirst drawn tightly around the post and after being passed over the hookg given a partial turn, as shown at the top of Fig. 2, or the wholesurplus chain may be wound on the drum, as at the bottom of Fig. 2 andin Fig. 3. A ratchet G is provided on each drum and is engaged by aspring-actuated pawl g2 on the housing A for maintaining the chaintightened.

At the top of the tether a flange A is provided and serves totemporarily hook or rest the tether on the post or other object whilesecuring it in position. If desired, an aperture a2 may be formed insaid flange, through which a screw or nail may be driven for securingthe tether to a stall.

The weight necessary to cause the ropewheel to readily gravitate isembodied in the hub C', which is of solid metal, and the size of thewheel and the amount of weight may vary in different tethers.

With the above described invention the tether may be constructed ofcomparatively short length and be effective for its purpose, and forthis reason it may be employed with convenience and advantage in stalls,and

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thereby allow the animal more freedom of movement and an enlarged areaWithin which to lie down Without the danger of injury by becomingentangled in the rope.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

ll The combination, in a tether, with Jthe body or frame having avertical rack, of a traveling winding-Wheel within the body or frame andgeared tothe said rack, and the tether-rope secured at its inner end tothe Wheel and Wound thereon, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination, in a tether, With the body or frame, of the racksand gnideways therein,the Winding-Wheel, the tether-rope secured at itsinner end to the Wheel and about which it is Wound, said Wheelbeinggeared to the racks to canse it to rotate and Wind the rope, andanti-friction rollers on the axis of the Wheel and traveling in the saidWays, substantially as set forth.

3. A tether having a vertical guideway, racks arranged along the same, agravity winding-Wheel for the tether-rope, a guide-opening at the upperend of the tether,througl1 which said rope passes, friction-disks on theaxle of said gravity-wheel, and circular series of pins on the hub ofthe Wheel engaging the abovenamed racks, all in combination,substantially as described.

WILLIAM E. BRADLEY.

Witnesses:

J. L. MOAULIFFE, C. SEDGWICK.

